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William DeGrote Sept. 29, 1924 - Feb. 28, 2009

ALEXANDRIA -- William "Bill" DeGrote, 84, of Alexandria died Feb. 28 at his home in Alexandria.

The service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Garfield.

Arrangements are by Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria.

He was born Sept. 29, 1924, in Clara City to William and Simka (Tammen) DeGrote. He grew up in Clara City, graduating from high school in 1943. He served in the Air Force from 1943 to 1946 and was stationed at Guam. After the war, he returned to Clara City and worked in the family businesses.

He married Joyce Lake on Sept. 24, 1948, in Holmes City. They lived in Clara City for the next seven years and, in 1955, they purchased Kenwood Resort on Lake Carlos in Alexandria. They operated the resort and worked for Anderson Furniture and Funeral Home. They sold the resort in 1965 and built Jefferson Apartments, later selling them as condominiums. From 1969 to 1983, he worked for Gamble Skogmo Company and several furniture manufacturing companies after which he retired. They lived in Arizona part time starting in 1983, moving back permanently to Alexandria in 1992 and living on Lake Latoka.

He was a member of the American Legion, Sons of Norway, Golden K Kiwanis Club, and St. Luke's Church of Garfield. He had played town team baseball until 1953.

He is survived by his wife; two children: David (and Charlotte) DeGrote of Chaska and Barbara DeGrote (and David Sorensen) of Litchfield; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and one sister: Thaline Ecklund of Clara City.